Piano.



.PATENTED APR. 26', 1904.

W. 0. HAMILTON.

PIANO. V

, APPLICATION FILED JUNE 26, 1903.

trill/l 11/1 I! I0 MODEL.

M M k a I I I 1 I 0 vI I I W 0 M I I w a NW "NW "lhh UNITED STATES Patented April 26, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

PIANO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 758,531, dated April 26, 1904,

Application filed June 26, 1 903- To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. HAMILTON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pianos, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in pianos, and relates more particularly to providing means whereby the acoustic qualities of the piano will be materially improved.

A further object of this invention is to provide means whereby the tone which is consequent upon the vibration of the strings of a piano will be materially improved in quality and volume, and also to provide means whereby the said sound vibrations will be conducted to the forward side of the piano, whereby the same will be thrown forward from said piano. I

A still further object of this invention is to provide means whereby the vibrations which occur at the rear of the usual sounding-board will be conducted to the forward side of the piano.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter more fully described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference is had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which-- Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a piano, showing my improvements applied thereto, the operating parts of said piano being omitted for the purpose of clearness of illustration. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view of the same.

The reference-numeral 1 indicates the pianocasing, at the rear of which the vertical supports 2 are placed, and secured'to the inner sides of these Vertical posts 2 is the usual sounding-board 3. This board 3 does not extend to the upper lid 4 of the piano, there Serial No. 163,274. (No model.)

being a space 5 left between said soundingboard and lid, as will be seen by referring to Fig. 1. Secured to the rear of the vertical posts 2, for a portion of the length thereof, is the supplemental sounding-board 6, the said supplemental sounding-board extending from the lid 1 downwardly for a suitable distance, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The lid l has the portion 7 thereof secured thereto by a suitable hinge 8, although this might be made in one piece, and secured beneath or formed .integral therewith is the curved sound-deflector 9. The hinged front 10, which forms the music-rack, upon being tilted permits the sound to pass through the opening 11, and

where the piano is being used in a room of such size that a sound of greater volume is desired the lid? is raised to a suitable position,.which might be such as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1, at which time the deflector 9 'would throw the sound outwardly and forwardly.

The string-plate which carries the strings therefor is secured in the usual manner upon the sounding-board 3, and upon a string or strings being vibrated by any usual mechanism the space between the sound ing-boards 3 and 6 will increase and richen the tones consequent upon said strings vibration, and a portion of the said tones would pass through the space 5 to the forward side of the piano, as has been heretofore described.

It will be obvious that the supplemental sounding-board 6 might be readily applied to a piano which was already constructed and that the deflector 9 might also be applied without any great expense.

While 1 have herein described my invention in detail, it will be obvious that my improvements could be applied to pianos other than the style shown, and that various changes may be made in the relative size, shape, and location of the same without departing from the general spirit of my invention.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a piano-casing, asoundingboard, a string-plate upon which the strings are secured, vertical posts at the rear of said casing upon which said sounding-board is mounted, said sounding-board extending a portion only of the height of said casing, a supplemental sounding-board mounted on said posts at the rear of and extending only a portion of the height of the first-mentioned board, thereby forming a space between said sounding-boards, said space communicating with the interior of the casing, and a sound-deflector consisting of a curved plate secured to the upper lid of said casing, said lid beingsecured to said casing, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In a piano, the combination with the easing, vertical posts therein, a sounding-board mounted in front of the posts, said board leaving an open space between it and the upper portion of the casing, and a secondary sounding-board mounted at the rear 01 said posts, said board being mounted opposite the said space, and extending downwardly a portion only of the length of the first-named board, whereby a passage in communication with the interior of the casing is formed, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I aliix my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

WVILLIAM G. HAMILTON. WVitnesses:

E. E. POTTER, K. H. BUTLER. 

